Preeminent
historian Bromwell Ault speaks to us from eight decades of observing
the trajectory of America. He speaks about what we were and how we lost
our way.

Could
you give us an understanding of our predicament in the history of nations
Mr. Ault?

“Political
America for most of our history has been not only a place to live,”
said Ault. “But also a state of mind and way of life derived from
our Plymouth Rock to Independence Hall origins; and from our Constitution’s
guidance of our nation’s and continent’s development.

“Inevitably,
the telling of our national tale must inspire reverence in those who
love and understand the basis for what we have undertaken and accomplished.

“That
reverence is lacking in the way many Americans view their country today
and, most importantly, beneath the dome in DC where it should be most
notable. There, it has mostly been discarded and replaced with attitudes
and actions more suited to today’s political temper and pace.

“The
truth is, although political truth is increasingly hard to come by,
that we have drifted so far from our founders’ principles that
we do not have a government that they would recognize. Actually, it
is somewhat of a stretch to even refer to what we have as “government”.
This criticism cuts both ways — against those elected to office
and against those who elect them.

“What
do we have? Tough question, and sometimes it’s difficult to describe
exactly what our government is composed of and how it works.

“What
Washington reveals is a steadily expanding mixture of agencies, bureaus,
departments, of boards, committees, and other initiatives that form
the structure of our federal bureaucracy. These entities have been formed
over time by legislation created by Congress theoretically to respond
to the needs of the public. They are rarely terminated and, therefore,
accumulate.

“Only
Congress can create legislation and only Congress can provide the means
of funding the laws it passes. Some laws work their way through the
multiple levels and committees of the approval process on their own;
others are given guidance and support by the executive branch and/or
other interested parties such as the Depts. of Defense and Justice,
labor unions, religious groups, etc. And lobbyists representing every
possible interest are within instant reach. In their present number
and intensity they have been present for only about three decades. Today
they constitute what many DC insiders see as a fourth branch of government.

“Once
enabling legislation has been passed, it must cross over one of government’s
greatest divides — from legislation to implementation, and, in
order to make this transition, either new managing bodies must be created
and funded, or the new programs must be inserted into existing ones.

“Congress’
task is then mostly done. Space will be found; staff will be hired and
counsel retained; plans will be announced; funds will be transferred;
and operations will commence. With only minor variations this is the
way our government has grown so immensely over the past half century.

“One
such variation, commencing with Pres. Clinton, is the increasing use
of Executive Orders (EO) whereby some purposes and projects can be added
to the bureaucratic mix without Congressional passage. Over time, these
primarily political actions have served to strengthen the President’s
hand.

“To
put this increase in perspective, consider that FDR issued 11 executive
orders over his thirteen years in of office. The following nine presidents
from Truman through Bush I used their EO power 30 times over 47 years.

“But
then look at what follows. Clinton issued 15, Bush II 62 and Obama,
with months remaining in his presidency is reported by various sources
to have issued between 200 and 900.

“It
is not, however, just the growing frequency and number that are of concern.
Some EOs can t within the existing structure of our government and require
nothing more than an additional effort or new direction from personnel
and funding resources already in place.

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“Others
are bolder and more extensive in their purpose, which often is only
revealed after the order has been signed, so that with the quickness
of a pen stroke and in the privacy of the Oval Office, regulations can
be put in place that both serve the White House’s political purposes
and expand the bureaucracy by additional hiring and funding requirements.

“It
is evident from the scale of EO use practiced by Clinton, Bush II and
Obama that the concept and intention of the EO has changed dramatically;
and, rather than being used for rare, specific or emergency purposes,
it has quietly become just another political tool the use and acceptance
of which provides an effective way for the president to bypass Congress.”

Thus,
a breakdown of our Republic into another form of government by our corporate
elites.

Frosty Wooldridge possesses a unique
view of the world, cultures and families in that he has bicycled
around the globe 100,000 miles, on six continents and six times
across the United States in the past 30 years. His published books
include: "HANDBOOK FOR TOURING BICYCLISTS"; STRIKE THREE! TAKE YOUR
BASE; IMMIGRATION'S UNARMED INVASION: DEADLY CONSEQUENCES MOTORCYCLE
ADVENTURE TO ALASKA: INTO THE WIND A TEEN NOVEL BICYCLING AROUND
THE WORLD: TIRE TRACKS FOR YOUR IMAGINATION AN EXTREME ENCOUNTER:
ANTARCTICA. ”His next book: TILTING THE STATUE OF LIBERTY
INTO A SWAMP. He lives in Denver, Colorado.